Air spring



Ofi. 29, 1929.

Filed July 29, .1924

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Patented Oct. 29, 1929 UNITED, STATES .Tomy HUGH ONEILIL,` or SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI e 1 yApplication led yJ'uly 29,

My invention relates to improvements in iiuid pressure devices commonly called air springs 1n which an elasticvgaseous luid `1s the 1 resilient element and a nonelastic liquid fluid is used to dampen the oscillation of the spring and to form a liquid seal over the sliding joint between the telescoping members which form the chamber containing the two kinds of fluid referred to. f

My invention further relates to means for dampening the natural yoscillations of the air springs by retarding the return of the spring members to normal position by means of structures forming asymmetric ypassages for the liquid fluid' which allow comparatively free movement of the spring in compression or expansion from'the normal or central position but retard the return movement from either compression or extension to the central position. Such, liquid fluid will' be referred to hereafter as oil. `1 f t My invention consists of constructions, combinations and arrangements applied to airy M springs and spring return motion retarding f devices, by which the superior resilient. quality of air over the common steel spring is uti-y lized in an advantageous and convenient to extend to the central yor normal position,

manner. f n l ,c The object of my. invention is to provide a 3G liuid pressure device adapted yfor useas a spring which maybe usedk yin any relation where two bodies are soassociated thaty re-- silient movement isdesirable, and especially where one or the other of the bodies Subject to sudden movements,` vibrations, or

shocks which it is undesirable to have transmitted to the other of said bodies. j e j' A further object is to provide structuresby means of which oily asses freely through pasf sages during the ree moving extension or compression/of the air spring away `from the central position and by which vthe oil is forced' through automatically produced constrictions in the passages duringthe return of the y air spring, fromy either extension or com`r pressiomto the central position, `I'orthe purpose of dampening the oscillation of the aink spring. l y

I attain my objects by mechanisms such asr "59 those disclosed in ,theac'cornpanying desoripf` 'toupper In 1924. Serial No. 728,895. y

trates a sectionalelevation of an-air spring.v f

Referringto the drawing 1 is an airspring composed of two members, an yupper memf ber 2 and a lower member 3. The upper member 2 and lower member 3 are provided with telescoping tubes. The'smaller or innertube 4 is attached to the upper member 2 and the larger or outer tube y5 is attached to the; lower member 3. f fi An outer tube 6 is preferablyprovided as a dust guard andas a guide fortube 5 andis sef. cured to upper memberQ. ,y c, ,K

The tubes 4 and 5 are'hermetically closedat the 'outeryends andthe inner ,tube bis provided at the inner end with peripheralpacking 7 adapted to form a iluid tightjoint with tube5. f Ik n ,y

The telescoping tubes 4 and 5 forma chamber of variable volumetric capacitygv f The fiuid withinthe chamber consists ofair in the upper portion 8 ,andof oil in the lower porv tionv 9. Preferably they lower portion 9 kis filled withoil to approximately the level of the dotted linelO when" the airfspring yisat rest and has beensupplied ywith compressed air of such pressure A,as to cause the air spring which is the position shown. n

ing means for attaching the air spring to the c sprung load may be kused such as thelugrll, shackle 12 and steel spring 13.y lheconnection tothe unsprungload is byanysuitabley means, such as the bolt 1li to the axle y15. y In order to dampen or restrict the return oscillationsofthe air spring pistons withfau-`4` tomatic valves working-in oil kin cylinders are provided. rThepistons'are,connected by pis# ,99k

ton rods to theupper member2 andthe cylinf ders are attached tothe lower member 3 inthe preferred construction; yThy piston 16 ris kattached piston rod y1'?"r in extension.,v The drawingfshows the air c Any suitableform ,of,connecting01` bear; I

y einher-2, yand carriesy anfautom'aticL 95 f valve 18 which lifts from its seat during mo? tion of the'air spring 1 in compression and@y l c closes on its seat during the reverse movement` 

